BIOSKETCH
Dr Diane van Staden is an Associate Professor in the Discipline of Optometry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is an established academic and researcher who is passionate about advancing access to eye health services globally.Her research interests intersect Health Professions Education and Health Equity. She is a recognised eye care leader with extensive experience in eye health systems strengthening globally. She has also served as the Academic Leader for the Discipline of Optometry (2017-2020) and Academic Leader for Teaching and Learning (2020-2021) within the School of Health Sciences, alongside other leadership positions within the College of Health Sciences and at an Institutional level, as well as various leadership roles within the profession nationally and internationally. Her most recent global contributions were as an expert regional contributor to the development of the World Health Organization’s Package of Eye Care Interventions which will assist policy-makers and technical decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries to integrate eye care into the packages and policies of their health services.In 2020 she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship with DRILL (Developing Research Innovation Localisation and Leadership), where through a structured five-year research and training grant, she grew from an early career academic to an established and recognised research leader in her field. Currently, she has collaborative associations in Kenya, Norway, Canada and the USA. Prof van Staden has supervised 8 Masters students to completion and is currently supervising 4 doctoral candidates. She is open to accepting new graduate students within her areas of interest.